The United States Postal Service, better known as U.S. Mail, has been around for over 50 years. It is America’s most trusted postal delivery service. Let’s check out ‘Does USPS charge for change of address?’
The USPS does not just handle mail, however. They do various tasks to assist the community and some of these includes government services.
Since the post office can process these services, you may be wondering whether the USPS can change your postal address and if so, how much it will cost? Let us look at what I found out after researching the subject.
Yes, you can change your address with the USPS. They offer two methods to assist you with this process and it only costs $1.10.
There is more on the change of address process, however, before looking into that, let us look at the USPS in detail first. Does USPS charge for change of address? – let’s know.
All there is to know about the USPS
The USPS was founded over 50 years ago. However, most claim that the postal service roots can be traced back to 1775. This was when Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster general.
The USPS headquarters is currently located in Washington D.C. The USPS employs over 600 000 career personnel and over 100 000 non-career personnel.
The USPS competes with many private delivery services such as FedEx and United Service Parcel, however, all boxes marked U.S. Mail, can only be handled by the USPS. USPS charge for change of address.
The method of changing your address via the USPS
You may want to change your mail address if you are moving from one location to another in the U.S. or, you just need to rent a mailbox for other reasons.
If this is where you are, you will want to know about the process of changing your address. The process by the USPS is quite simple and does not cost much. You can do the change in one of two ways.
Change of address using the USPS’s online service
To change your address using the online service, all you need to do is open the link, USPS.com/move on your PC.
Follow the prompts and fill in your new details. For this process, you will need your email address and credit or debit card to pay the required $1.10 fee.
Once this process is complete, you will be notified with an alert in your email.
Note that there have been many complaints on the web by people who were scammed into paying over $40 for this process. Remember to never use other companies for anything mail-related. It is always best to contact the USPS customer service line if you need any help or advice.
Change of address in a Post office centre
If you prefer to change your address without using the online method, visit your closest post office.
Once there, you will need to inform a representative that you wish to change your address. You will be given a Mover’s Guide Packet.
This packet will have a form for you to fill out with your personal information as well as your new address details. After filling it, you can hand it over to the representative or drop it off in the mail order box.
The change of address will be processed within 5 working days and you will receive a letter confirming the change, sent to your new address.
Other services offered by the USPS
The Postal Service does more than just change of addresses and sorting and delivering mail. Amongst these, services offered to the public include:
- Holding Mail Service.
This is where you can have your address temporarily changed. For those days when you’re on vacation or a temporary move, the USPS can have your address changed temporarily until you move back to your original place and obtain your original mail address thereafter.
- Passport Service
The Post Office has made it easy for citizens. You can apply for your passport at any post office location. Some locations even capture your picture. After the forms and processes have been completed, the USPS will forward your application to the State Department.
- Election, voting service.
During election times, the postal service offers their locations to the public to allow for voting.
- Postal vehicles, data collection platform.
This is when postal delivery vehicles traveling throughout communities on their routes for delivery, collect data on road conditions. These include street imagery, hazards, road assets, high-definition mapping, etcetera. This information is beneficial to the local, state, and federal agencies who need data on roads to help repair and keep them in better condition.
Conclusion
The USPS can change your mail address for only $1.10. To change your address, you can choose to go to your nearest post office. Request the form for a change of address, fill it in and your order will be processed within 5 working days.
You could also change your address using the USPS online service. The process is quick, simple, and efficient. All you need is your email address and debit or credit card details to complete the process.